Shoppes Of Bethesda Getting A Facelift

A Bethesda shopping center is getting a facelift as it brings in more big-name national retailers.

The Shoppes of Bethesda, which has parking and an upper level along Hampden Lane and a lower level on Elm Street, is undergoing a series of facade and signing changes.

Crews are on-site and have chained off much of the upper level. The stores remain open, with temporary signage and scaffolding built on top of entrance ways.

Four locally owned stores in the shopping center closed or relocated in 2013. A fifth tenant, Irish pub and restaurant Ri Ra, relocated to Georgetown. The Hinode sushi restaurant closed last week and will be replaced by Tako Grill, another Bethesda sushi restaurant now on Wisconsin Avenue.

New arrivals to the center included Pure Barre, a national chain of franchised fitness studios. A Noodles & Co. and Soul Ryde cycling studio are set to take over the empty Ri Ra space on Elm Street.

Shoppes of Bethesda owner David Draiman has been mum, at least to us, about future plans for the center. Back in November, blogger Robert Dyer posted a rendering of the renovations found on the Shoppes of Bethesda Facebook page.